Al Hilal holds its final training session before leaving for Doha.

DOHA, Sept 16: Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia is set to kick off its campaign in the AFC Champions League Elite by facing Al Rayyan of Qatar this evening at 7:00 pm at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Doha. Other key matches taking place today include Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan against Al Wasl of the UAE, Shandong Taishan of China plays Central Coast Mariners of Australia, Guangzhou FC of South Korea taking on Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan, Buriram United of Thailand facing Vissel Kobe of Japan, and Shanghai Shenhua of China locks horns with Pohang Steelers of South Korea.

The Asian Football Confederation has appointed South Korean referee Kim Young-hyuk to officiate the Al Hilal vs. Al Rayyan match, supported by assistant referees Park Kyung-yong, Yang Young-pil, Choi Hyun-jae, and Kim Hee-gon. Al Hilal, the most successful team in AFC Champions League history with four titles, aims to secure its first championship in the new Elite League format.

Meanwhile, Al Rayyan has bolstered its squad by officially signing Dutch international right-back Joshua Brenet for a one-year contract. The 30-year-old previously played for Dutch side Twente Enschede over the past two seasons and has also had stints with German club Hoffenheim and Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.

Al Rayyan further strengthened its team during the summer transfer window with the acquisitions of Egyptian star Mahmoud Trezeguet, Moroccan Achraf Bencharki, Brazilian goalkeeper Paulo Victor, Spanish defender David Garcia, and Belgian midfielder Robin de Sart. These signings join an existing roster of Brazilian professionals, including Roger Guedes, Thiago Mendes, Gabriel Pereira, and Portuguese defender Andre Amaro.